LoVe at Hogwarts
by specialkcantgetenough
Summary: Dramione with a few choice scenes and dialogue from Veronica Mars. The similarities are scary if you look for them.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own Veronica Mars. I only own my daydreams.**

Hermione stared at her lunch. Harry and Ron had both scarfed down their meal and rushed off to Quidditch practice. As a girl whose two best friends had been guys since school started, it wasn't often Hermione Granger felt sorry for herself. She didn't expect them to want to stay up all night gossiping and talking about feelings. In fact, if they did she would probably run the opposite direction. But something about today had her needing someone to ask her how her day had been. "Not great," she mumbled to her sandwich.

She'd been up late the night before editing Harry's potions paper and basically finishing Ron's. She'd overslept, and then already in a hurry found her Transfiguration book covered in goo from Neville's cactus. And let's not forget Draco Malfoy. Every school has an obligatory jackass. _He's ours, _she thought, wishing the carrots she stabbed at with her fork were his face.

On her way to class that morning she'd been obliged to walk past him and his cronies.

FLASHBACK

"Look there's the beaver. Hey Granger!"

_Just ignore him and maybe he'll disappear_, thought Hermione as she hugged her books to her chest. No such luck. His group surrounded her and he draped his arm over her shoulder. "Hey, we've decided we'd rather swim than study today, you wanna come with?" he whispered conspiratorially. "Blaise will promise to take his shirt off to sweeten the pot."

Hermione stiffened as the Slytherins laughed around her. Suddenly Malfoy's mouth was very close to her ear and he breathed, "Does it make you horny?"

Appalled, she shrugged him away, but he kept following her.

"Hey Blaise," he laughed, "flex for the mudblood." Blaise shoved him and Malfoy just laughed, "Alright, alright."

Hermione hurried away and heard Malfoy say, "Man, she used to be fun."

END OF FLASHBACK

_Fun, eh?_ Hermione smirked, an atypical expression on her face. She remembered how much fun it had been to slap him back in third year. Maybe it was time to re-establish herself...

Hermione was fairly bouncing in her seat at the end of Transfiguration. When McGonagal finally dismissed them she grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him out into the hall. "I've got something funny to show you."

"Hey, Mione! Slow down!" Ron panted, but she couldn't wait to see the fun.

Malfoy sauntered out into the hall behind them, his book bag tossed carelessly over one shoulder. Hermione grinned as she flicked her want and his bag began to shake violently.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagal exclaimed, "Open your bag this instant!" Malfoy, looking confused, complied and suddenly a bludger came bolting out of the bag. Everyone ducked, including Malfoy, as the ball flew up and down the hall knocking holes in the walls.

"Finite!" Professor Flitwick's voice rang out as the ball froze midair.

Professor McGonagal took a moment to recover, then said, "Well, what's this Mr. Malfoy? This appears to be a rogue bludger."

"That's exactly what it looks like," agreed Flitwick.

"Alright, to the headmaster's office."

The hallway erupted into a chorus of cheers. "Busted!" someone chimed in.

Draco was completely shocked. There was no possible way a bludger had gotten into his bag unless someone put... Granger. He quickly found her in the crowd. She sat behind him in Transfiguration, she must have put it there. "It was you," he pointed.

Her only reaction was to shrug innocently.

"Listen, I know it was you." He felt Professor McGonagal's hand on his shoulder but he wasn't done. "This isn't over ok?"

She yawned!

"Oh you're so cute," he spat sarcastically. "Listen, I'll get you for this. I will!"

"Lets go," McGonagal pulled on his arm and he felt Flitwick shove his leg.

Hermione grinned, feeling bigger and better already as she watched her favorite professor march Malfoy to Dumbledore's office. "You're right," laughed Ron. "That was funny."

Later that day, Ron and Hermione decided to do some studying outside. At least, Hermione was studying. Ron was making a twig fly around like a broomstick. "Hermione, you've got to see this!" he shouted from across the quad.

With a sigh, she put her books in a pile by the tree and went to him. "Check it out! I can re-enact that great save I did against Ravenclaw last week!"

She was in a good mood, having thwarted Malfoy earlier so she watched Ron's flying twigs for a few minutes. Ron was good at making her forget her worries and soon her studying was forgotten. Almost an hour later she was almost asleep in last rays of sunlight when she heard, "Uh, Hermione?"

"Yeah," she said, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Your books." Something in Ron's voice made her eyes fly open and she whirled around to where she'd left them.

Malfoy was flipping absent mindedly through her Potions book as his friends sprawled under the tree. Hermione approached cautiously, her hand ready to go for her wand if she needed it.

"Hey Granger," his voice was even nastier than usual, "do you know what your little joke cost me?"

"Well I'm pretty sure you won't be getting your bludger back," Hermione retorted.

RIP. Malfoy tore out a large chuck of pages. "Wrong answer. Would you care to guess again?"

Hermione's heart sank at the destruction of her book, but she refused to show weakness. "Clearly your sense of humor."

RIP. This time he tore the book completely in half down the binding. "Nope, and you're usually so good at pop quizzes. No, the correct answer is Quidditch. That's right, they've suspended me from the team for the rest of the year." Malfoy now stood right in her face.

"Uh, Draco?"

Annoyed, Draco glanced away from the mudblood and saw what his friend meant. Harry Potter. That pompous, self-righteous prick.

"What do we have here?"

His voice alone was enough to make Draco curse.

"Blatant hatred toward the art of Potions? Oh no no. I'm afraid that is reserved for Gryffindors, or people Snape has tortured over the years. Not his precious Slytherins."

Draco didn't want to deal with him right now. "Listen man, I don't have a problem with you today."

"That's where you're wrong. Accio book bag!" The book bag at Draco's feet flew to Harry's hands.

"Hey! That's not his, it's mine!" Goyle called out.

"You can bill me. Inflamare!" Draco watched as the bag in Potter's hands caught fire and burned to ashes in mere seconds. "Thats it," Potter said, brushing the ashes off his fingers, "Bugger off. Except for you." He leveled his wand at Draco. "You... Say you're sorry."

Draco wished his wand was out instead of tucked in his back pocket. Still who did Potter think he was? He laughed. "Rub a lamp."

"Stupefy!" The spell hit him full in the face. "I said say you're sorry."

"Kiss my ass!" he yelled back, wiping the blood from his nose.

"Stupefy!" This time the force knocked Draco to his knees in the dirt, with Saint Potter laughing above him.

"Let him go." Granger's voice blocked another spell from Potter.

"Are you sure? I could do this for a while." Potter still had his wand in Draco's face.

"I don't want his apology."

Draco picked himself up, still wiping at his nose to stop the bleeding. As he walked out of the courtyard he felt his so called friends following him. "Hope you guys are comfortable," he muttered.

**I have to write this story. It came to me late one night as I sat and pondered the similarities between Draco and Logan... Then all the other characters fell into place. I wish Harry was more like Weevil sometimes... And you'll just have to see where the rest fall into place.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_How did this happen?_ thought Hermione as she dragged her desk across the room to her new History of Magic study group. Professor Binns was known for being oblivious, but how did he expect her to learn anything in a group with Malfoy and his disgusting girlfriend Pansy? She could tell by his legs propped up in Pansy's lap that she would be expected to do all of the research for their project. And she would... because she was Hermione Granger and Hermione Granger did NOT fail assignments. Besides, it was on a topic that interested her.

"Morning mudblood," crooned Malfoy. "I hope you were taking good notes because I ignore Binns on principle."

With a sigh that spoke of annoyance and resolution, Hermione opened her book and said, "We are to research the House Elf uprising of 1232 and examine the contributing factors of it's failure."

"Ah hah! Knew I could count on teachers pet Granger to remember." Full of self importance, he leaned back and put his arms behind his head as if he were dictating. "This brings to mind a bit of trouble we had with one of our house elves last summer. Kept sneaking up on me and stealing things from my room. I mean seriously, how difficult is it to find good help these days?"

"What did you do about your house elf?" simpered Pansy.

"We had to get rid of him," said Malfoy, his voice full of false regret. "If you can't trust your domestics, you don't feel save in your own home."

Hermione groaned on the inside and fought the urge to defend the house elf. Harry and Ron gave her enough grief about S.P.E.W. She couldn't even imagine what Malfoy would do with that information.

"Well I won't miss him," stated Pansy. "He was totally rude to me every time I was over there."

Desperate to say something, Hermione interjected, "Did you know that 90% of house elves sold from their families die from alcoholism?" She hoped the hint hit hard. "That's an interesting fact. At least I think so."

At her words, Malfoy and Pansy turned to her like their entire conversation had not been play acted for her benefit. Pansy spat, "But you know what? No one cares what you think Hermione Granger."

"You seem to care a bit what I think." Hermione heard Harry snort with laughter from the table behind her and she looked over to share a smile.

"Tell the truth Granger," Malfoy said, "did you sign up for History of Magic so you could be around Saint Potter?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No," she mocked his tone perfectly, "I'm here so I can be closer to you."

His smirk was somewhere between, "Oh baby, oh baby" and "I win."

Draco looked at his watch... again. Only two minutes since the last time he'd checked it. Their study group had fallen into silence as Pansy became engrossed in her copy of Witches Weekly and Granger scribbled furiously about house elves. _Merlin, doesn't that girl ever stop? _ Draco was smart and able to maintain acceptable grades with minimal effort. Maybe the mudblood wasn't really that smart since she had to study all the time. But Draco remembered how well that argument had worked when his father learned he was SECOND in all his classes... and to a mudblood. Snape had found him brewing a bruise poultice and the next day he was top in Potions. Draco frowned, but it didn't last long. Binns dismissed class and Granger gathered her books and made a mad dash for the door. Draco's frown turned into a grin. _That girl is seriously wack!_

He met Pansy in the Great Hall for lunch, but again she ignored him in favor of her magazine. "Seriously Pansy? Is that article really more interesting than me?"

He meant for it to be funny, but Pansy just huffed and gathered up her tray. As she turned to stalk away, a piece of paper fluttered out of the magazine. Curious, Draco snatched it out of the air like a snitch. Pansy was gone, and he slowly opened the note.

Meet me in the library tonight.

3 - Ernie McMillian

What the hell? McMillian? Pansy wouldn't... She had been acting kind of weird lately, not so clingy and it had been weeks since she tried to make him go shopping with her. In a daze, Draco stood and walked toward the door. Pansy was cheating on him... HIM. DRACO MALFOY. The idea was so foreign to him he didn't notice when he bumped into someone.

"Merlin! Malfoy watch where you're going!" shouted Hermione as her orange juice spilled all down her front. She braced herself for an insult but the look on his face was strange.

"Bummer."

Hermione watched as he walked away, shaking her head at his lack of comment.

"Well if it isn't the bad apple thinking he can steal my girl." Draco watched Ernie jump as his voice floated over his shoulder. He reveled in the look on the stupid Hufflepuff's face as he registered how many friends Draco had brought with him.

"I already stole your girlfriend. You're just too dumb to know it!"

Draco blacked out for a second, and when the rage cleared, Draco found McMillian pinned to the ground by his foot on his throat. "Oh yeah? Then where is she?"

At that moment Pansy walked in the door. Draco watched her reaction and saw her surprise turn into resignation. She took one look at McMillian on the ground and walked back out the door.

Draco wasn't sure what made him angrier. The fact she had cheated on him, or the fact she obviously didn't even have feelings for the guy she cheated on him with. Either way, that anger was taken out on McMillian.

"You guys hear about McMillian?" Ron's eyes were wide with his news.

Harry and Hermione looked up from their lunchtime cram session for Snape.

"Apparently he'd been messing around with Pansy Parkinson--"

Harry snorted.

"I know mate, I mean WHY?" Ron's face was incredulous. "Anyways, I guess Malfoy found out and cornered him last night in the library."

Hermione glanced over at the blond Slytherin and noticed he was looking especially nasty, flanked on either side by Crabbe and Goyle who looked ready to fight anyone who said anything. "Hey guys look," murmured Hermione. Pansy stood at one end of the Slytherin table, looking somewhere between desperate and angry. None of her friends made eye contact and they had spread themselves out so there was no where to sit. Finally, she realized what was happening and ran out crying.

Hermione felt a little twinge of sympathy, but soon realized that Pansy had alienated a lot people. _What goes around comes around._

**Pansy = Paris Hilton.... Can't think of a better comparison.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Merlin Weasley! Did you pawn your brain for milk money? Honestly, how have you managed to pass your classes this far?"

Hermione shot Ron a look of sympathy. Slughorn had grouped them in pairs to brew a potion and had done the worst job possible. Ron had it worst, he was with Malfoy. Harry was with Romilda who kept trying to slip him love potion. Hermione was with Susan Bones and poor Neville was with Blaise.

"Sorry, Sorry!" he kept repeating, as if the Slytherin was Snape himself.

"Just stick to your half of the ingredients Longbottom!" the exasperated Blaise snapped.

"Shut it Malfoy!" Suddenly Ron was at his throat and the two tussled on the ground.

"Children, Children!" Slughorn clapped his hands in vain. Hermione sighed. As if he expected that team to work.

Class was finally over and all their potions had passed, a miracle in and of itself. "Now remember, this potion is very dangerous so no trying to sneak out vials for yourselves."

Hermione was packing up her bag when she heard a commotion by the door.

"GAH!" Neville's face was covered with long purple tentacles and he clutched at it while he rolled on the floor.

"Oh dear," Professor Slughorn shook his head sadly. "I had hoped we could avoid that. I put a charm on the door to make sure no one tried to take the potion out."

Hermione looked around at her classmates suspiciously. Of course, Draco Malfoy was laughing the loudest.

Draco was still laughing at the image of Longbottom's tentacles. He ambled down the hall when suddenly he was pulled by his elbow into an alcove.

"Time for a chat?"

_Merlin! Where did Granger come from?_ "Wow, you'd think if hell froze over it'd be in the Prophet."

"I just want to hear more about the vial of Living Death you put in Neville's bag."

_What?_ "You mean the vial Neville put in his bag."

Her face scrunched up in suspicion.

"Wow," Draco had to laugh, "you suck at this detective stuff. You should get a new hobby."

"But you know who did it?" She continued like his insult didn't happen.

"Do you actually think I would tell you anything?" Draco leaned in close to see her reaction.

"Hermione, come on!" Weasley's voice rang out in the hall.

Draco could tell by her face he'd won this round. "Well I guess we're done here," he said with a smirk.

Still riding his high from beating Granger at her own game, Draco went to lunch. Seeing Blaise, he dropped onto the bench next to him. "Merlin! If Longbottom's mum weren't crazy she'd be pleased he's finally starting to look like one of the family."

Instead of the laugh he expected, Blaise stood up quickly and started toward the door.

Draco followed him. "You got something to say to me, you say it."

Blaise rounded on him. "Did you plant the vial?"

Draco was so surprised he could only stare. After a short pause, Blaise chuckled sadly and turned to leave. _Why does he care?_ Draco had known Blaise since before Hogwarts. Sure the guy could be a little esoteric sometimes but he'd never complained before. "You're so out of it lately you wouldn't know if Father Christmas walked in and planted the vial!"

"Have you always been like this?" Blaise countered, making Draco's rant pull up short. "It's like you've been going over to the Dark Side bit by bit, so slowly that I didn't notice when you transfigured into a full fledged jackass!"

"So I'm a jackass?" Draco tried to pretend it didn't hurt.

"Yeah," Blaise's eyes burned with anger, "and I'm over it."

Draco watched his friend's back retreat. "What are we breaking up now?" No response. "You want your best friend charm back?"

Blaise was gone.

Hermione dropped into the seat next to Neville in History of Magic. "How are you feeling?"

Neville twitched and rubbed his still slightly purple face with one hand. "Alright I guess."

"I'm real sorry about what happened to you. I'm gonna find out who did it."

"Did it?" Neville's face blanched. "Did what?"

"Well someone obviously slipped that vial into your bag. Do you remember if anyone bumped into you or touched your bag on the way out?"

"No, no. It was just an accident, its--"

"No Neville," interrupted Hermione, "I'm sick of these Slytherins getting away with stuff like this. Don't worry about it." She patted his arm, "Just leave it to me."

Draco was up early on a Saturday morning. He and Blaise were dorm mates and the tension was unbearable. He had taken to getting up before Blaise to avoid him. Today he decided to get in some flying practice. As he laced up his boots, the door of the Quidditch shed opened.

"I love the smell of testosterone in the morning."

Of course it would be Granger. With a sigh, Draco said, "This is why I preferred Dementors to house elves, but no."

"Look, I'm here looking for Blaise. I need to talk to him about--"

Draco held up his hand, unhappy with the images Blaise's name brought up. Surprisingly she stopped talking. He couldn't resist a jab. "And you just wanted to say Hi? It's a good thing I didn't have my slam book out."

"Whatever," he heard her mutter and turn to leave.

"I'd check by the lake. He likes to go running down there most mornings."

Granger stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Look at you, all helpful."

Draco honestly didn't know why he'd offered that information. Trying to cover for it, he said, "Hey, your peskiness unleashed on Blaise brings me joy."

She rolled her eyes and left. Draco called out after her, "Annoy mudblood! Annoy like the wind!"

Hermione easily found Blaise by the lake. Phew, even if he was a Slytherin he was a good looking one, especially all sweaty after a run. She hadn't learned much from him, except that she had been right in assuming he and Malfoy weren't getting along.

"You know it wouldn't surprise me if he did do it. He's been getting worse lately, even to his friends."

"But you didn't see anything?"

Blaise shook his head. "Sorry no." Then something seemed to click. "Wait, there was something. The night before he was practicing the vanishing charm in the common room. He was getting a big kick out of charming girl's underwear into the guy's pockets."

Hermione's horror must have shown on her face because he followed up with, "Yeah, what a jackass."

She marched back to the Quidditch field, feeling her fury grow with every step. What kind of person could find joy in these childish pranks? She could see him circling the pitch and she folded her arms to wait. Finally he landed and she laid into him. "Bravo Malfoy. It's a new low. And just when the critics were having some doubts."

He sighed sarcastically. "You must be talking about your friend N-N-Neville."

The edges of her vision were red.

He laughed at her. "I just DON'T have time to be responsible for every little thing that goes wrong in your life!" He flew away leaving her furious.

While Draco enjoyed these mind games with Granger, it was getting old. Especially when his best friend had strangely taken her side. After four hours of flying, Draco was hungry. He made his way back to the Great hall and found Blaise had a similar idea. Tentatively, Draco sat down, only to see Blaise get up to leave.

"Can you guys kiss and make up already?" Crabbe blurted out. He was rewarded with Draco's cup of pumpkin juice dumped over his head.

Hermione had no proof, and apart form stealing a time-turner she had no way to find proof. It was driving her crazy, and she spent the entire evening staring off into space instead of studying.

"Um, Hermione?"

"What is it Neville?" She was surprised to see Ron and Harry holding him by the arms like prison guards.

The poor boy looked fearfully at Harry and Ron, then blubbered out, "I tried to steal it."

"You what?"

"It wasn't Malfoy or anyone else. It was me. I wanted to feed it to my cactus. I read somewhere it's supposed to make it--"

"That's enough," said Harry and he let the boy go.

Hermione was non-plussed. She hadn't even considered the fact that Neville might have tried to steal it. Her shock showed and Harry said, "Look we're not happy about it either. Any reason to label Malfoy as scum is welcome."

Ron jumped in, "But we're worried about you. You haven't even touched your quill all night and we've got 3 feet due to Binns tomorrow."

Hermione shrieked and for the rest of the night was busy writing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"This project is worth 50 percent of your final grade. You will each research the famous witch or wizard you draw from the hat and create a 20 minute presentation about their life."

Draco groaned, along with most of the class.

Professor Binns continued, "Your reports will be presented in front of the entire school and representatives from the Daily Prophet will choose a wining presentation to be featured in their next edition. You have six weeks, so don't put off your research until the last minute."

The class shuffled to the front to draw their names, Granger of course being the first in line. "Oh! Nicholas Flamel! Well I already know a lot about him; inventor of the Sorcerers Stone, longest living man in the world..." Her voice trailed off as she left the classroom, no doubt on her way to the library. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Hey! I've got Dumbledore!" yelled Weasley.

"Better learn more than what's on his Chocolate Frog card Weaselbee," called out Draco. "Want to make Mama Weasley proud. Give her something to wallpaper your pigsty of a hut with."

"Shut it Malfoy."

Draco was expecting it. Only Granger ever came back with more than a "Shut it Malfoy" to his quips.

It was his turn. "Duncan Kane." Who the hell was that?

Hermione closed the book with a smile. It was the same one she'd used in their first year, and judging from the coating of dust, no one had used it since. It was late, and as usual she was the only one in the library. Madam Pince didn't even bother her anymore. As she went to leave, her ears caught the distinct noise of a page turning. _Was someone else still here? She rounded a bookshelf and to her surprise found Malfoy practically buried amid towers of books._

"_What part of my ignoring you makes you think you're welcome?" His voice sounded tired._

"_What are you doing?" Hermione had never seen anyone but herself check out so many books._

_He sighed. "Assembling the world's most boring report on the world's most boring person." When she didn't reply, he went on. "Duncan Kane was born in Suffolk County in 1923 and started a flobberworm farm in 1950. He won several local prizes for his worms and then died in 1972. What I don't get is why anyone cares about him."_

_He went back to his book and Hermione quietly left him to it. _

_Two weeks until deadline and Draco wasn't any closer to finding a shred of interesting information about Duncan Kane. Night after night he holed up in the library searching for answers, but all he got for his trouble was a lot of Granger. Oddly enough, no one else in their class seemed to be researching, but Granger was there every night like clockwork._

_Tonight Draco was checking through 50 years worth of old Daily Prophets, hoping to come across something good. After about the fifth book he was ready to give up._

"_How's it going?"_

"_It's very dry and uninspiring. Binns will love it," he answered before he realized who it was._

_Granger came and sat next to him, laying a book in front of him. "So," she began slowly, "I was looking through this book the other day and I found this," she pointed to the bottom corner of the page. _

_Draco was skeptical. "What is it?"_

_Her face lit up with a genuine grin. "It's not flobberworms and blue ribbons."_

_Hermione had been wrestling with the idea of bringing this to Malfoy for days. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed to be the only one besides her who cared about this project. Or maybe it was the way he rubbed his eyes after reading for a long time. She watched the corner of his mouth go up hesitantly as he glanced between her face and the book. The silence was awkward, and he finally broke it by saying, "I've got a lot of work to do."_

_This snapped Hermione back to reality. "Yeah," she replied hurriedly, "No, me too."_

_Draco wrote furiously. Not only had Kane's flobberworm farm been a front for an illegal wolfsbane operation, but his biggest client was none other than the previous Minister of Magic. After reading the blurb on the wolfsbane ban and seeing Kane's name on a petition to raise it, Draco remembered a discrepancy in the books from Leroy's farm. He had received a large sum of money from an offshore account at the same time every month. After a little legwork, Draco discovered that the account belonged to none other than Bertie Haliburton, Minister of Magic. His dependence on Kane's wolfsbane product every month before the full moon could only mean one thing. He was a werewolf._

"_And First Prize, for an ingenious bit of investigative reporting and the tenacity to back up his hunch with irrefutable evidence goes to Draco Malfoy!"_

_The applause filled the Great Hall as Draco went up to receive his prize and shake hands with Dumbledore and the reporters from the Prophet. In the crowd he caught Granger's face. She was beaming. With a small nod, he smiled back._

_Only Snape wasn't smiling. He paced out of the Great hall with a worried glance at his godson._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Draco packed for his trip home over the long weekend. As he stuffed the last of his shirts into his case, Snape walked in, causing the chatter with the other guys to fall silent.**

"**Draco. May I speak with you privately?"**

**Draco nodded and motioned with his head for the guys to leave them alone.**

"**May I assume your father has sent for you this weekend?"**

"**Yes he has."**

"**I see."**

**The silence was smothering. "Was there something you needed from me Professor?"**

"**No. No." His godfather paused again. **

"**Well, I better be going."**

"**Yes, well. Have a safe weekend."**

**His godfather was acting strangely. They didn't have what people would call a close relationship, but he knew the man looked out for him. Draco brushed past him on his way out the door and felt him grab his elbow.**

"**You do know you can come to me if you have questions?" Snape's voice hinted at something Draco didn't know.**

"**About... Potions?" he fished.**

"**Ah," Snape dropped his arm and Draco could have sworn he saw relief in his eyes. "About anything. Say hello to your mother for me."**

"**I will."**

**His mother met him in Hogsmeade. Their hug was awkward, mostly because Draco felt how thin she was becoming. "Mother. How have you been?"**

"**Oh," she waved her hand, "I've been alright. Your father will see you tonight at dinner."**

**He nodded, not for the first time feeling like a scheduled appointment with his father.**

"**Shall we?"**

**Draco took his mother's offered arm and felt Hogsmeade disappear in a blur. Soon it turned into the rolling lawn of Malfoy Manor. Home sweet home. It was secluded, without any other houses in sight. Growing up here had been lonely for an only child like Draco. **

**CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. A strange noise caught his attention and he turned to investigate. A lane lead to their front gate and a crowd of reporters had congregated there. "Wait here mother," he said and went to confront them. "What a show! Don't you people have lives?" he asked as the cameras flashed more as he approached.**

"**Hey are you the son?" one reporter asked.**

"**I'm the guy telling you to get out of my drive."**

"**What do you have to say about reports that your conclusion was wrong about Minister Bertie?"**

**That caught his attention.**

"**That it wasn't old Bertie who was a werewolf but he was covering for his nephew. Fenrir Greyback."**

**Fear coursed through Draco like ice water.**

"**The payments have continued, which means Greyback is still here. Your dad used to be good friends with Greyback," continued the fearless reporter. "What does he think of your outing him?"**

"**Draco," his mother's voice sounded so far away, "Come in the house honey."**

**His father was late for supper. "He owled, said he was sorry but he ran into some problems at the Ministry," his mother said, her upperclass drawl helplessly formal. "But I wouldn't worry dear, he'll have time to see you tomorrow."**

**This was one of his mother's tricks. She knew exactly why her husband was gone and what kind of conversation he would have with his son when he returned. She just chose to pretend it wasn't happening, just like nothing bad had ever happened. Still Draco couldn't fault her for it. He wished he could pretend too.**

**After trying to sleep, he finally gave up about 2 am. He wandered through the Manor until he came to his father's study. "Hey dad. What are you doing up?"**

**Lucius sat very still, his face unreadable. "I couldn't sleep, what with all the owls arriving every five minutes." Slowly, he stood. Draco's brain told him to run, but his body stood transfixed as his father moved closer. "Fenrir. Wormtail. Snape. Bellatrix. Any guesses what they wanted to talk about? My loyalty to the Dark Lord? No. My latest recruitment trip to Transylvania? No. They wanted to talk about my son's latest class project."**

"**Dad, I-I don't..." Draco fumbled for words as he felt his father's hand clasp around the back of his neck.**

"**I have to say," the Malfoy drawl was thick with sarcasm, "your performance was really impressive. The way you played the ungrateful son determined to humiliate his father was utterly IMPRESSIVE!" To accent his words, Lucius threw Draco onto the couch. "Do you have any idea what you've just cost this family?" He stood over his cowering son. "Of course you don't. You've never had to work for anything in your life."**

**Draco's fists clenched into the sofa cushions, desperately wishing he could disappear.**

"**Now," Lucius' voice was calm again, in a way that made it clear he was to be obeyed, "tomorrow you are going to get your first lesson in public relations. And Draco," his voice lowered, "don't you EVER embarrass me again."**

**A tiny shake of his head was all Draco could manage.**

**The next morning at the breakfast table it was as if nothing had happened. Draco and his father played along for Narcissa's sake and they chatted pleasantly about the weather, the latest wizard stock crisis and Draco's plans for after Hogwarts. His mother had an early shopping trip planned with Mrs. Zabini, so she finished quickly. With a squeeze on his shoulder, she kissed Draco's forehead and apparated.**

**Almost immediately the tone changed. Draco sat silently as his father read the Prophet. He could see his sheepish photo self shrugging on the front cover and slouched lower in his chair. Finally, Lucius folded up the paper and said, "This is how this is going to work. You will dress in your best robes and I will join you for an audience with the Dark Lord."**

_**The Dark Lord?**_** Draco gulped and tried to adopt his father's easy tone, "What do you want me to say to him?"**

**Lucius shook his head , "What do you think Draco? That you're sorry, that you're bone-headed, and that you screwed up. I'll take care of the rest."**

**The room was completely void of sunlight, only lit by the few dozen candles floating in the air. They weren't alone, there must have been at least 15 other Death Eater's present. Some he recognized, some he did not. But Draco's eyes were immediately drawn to a high back chair sitting in the shadows, facing the fire. **

"**At last Lucius. We've been waiting." **

**The voice was quietly chilling and high pitched, worse that every time his father had yelled at him put together. Draco felt his father push him toward the chair. "My Lord, my son Draco is here."**

**Nothing from the chair.**

**Lucius looked around nervously and began to speak to fill the silence. "My father was a great man, upholding our beliefs until his death. He once told me something that I'll never forget. He said, 'Son, loyalty trumps ambition every time.' Now my son here will be the first one to admit that he was thinking only of himself, but I promise you he knows where his loyalties lie."**

**Here he paused and gave Draco a little shove. Still without any kind of response from the shadow in the chair and with everyone else in the room staring, Draco cleared his throat and said, "Umm, well I know now that uh, that what I did was wrong. I'm really sorry. I, uh," he looked to his father for some support but found none. "I hope that one day I can live up to my Dad's example." Draco had never felt more like a puppet in his life. His father, his aunt; they all had their little strings to pull. But even as he feared them, he hated them. He was a person too, not just some pawn for them to move in their strategy to stay alive. It was too late for him to stop playing their game, but he didn't have to play nice. "I know that he didn't want to make a big deal out of this, but I'm just so proud of him that I can't keep it a secret." Draco felt rather than saw his father's face change. "Dad told me on the way over that he's donating half a million galleons and his home as headquarters for your final victory my lord."**

**The room was silent, only broken a few seconds later by a raspy chuckle from the chair. "Well, well Lucius. This is pleasing news indeed. Under normal circumstances I'd be curious to know what caused this extreme generosity, but now that your family has yet AGAIN failed me you must be anxious to do anything to please me." He stood and for the first time Draco looked on his face. He felt the same fear, the same repulsion he had in the forest during his first year, only this time there was nowhere to run. "You speak of loyalty, knowing this is what I wish to hear, yet again and again you have shown me the opposite."**

"**But my Lord! I have always been--"**

"**Enough." Voldemort threw up his hand and cut off Lucius' groveling. His eyes, red and slitted, peered closely into Draco's and Draco felt he was looking at Death himself. He shook as Voldemort's fingers slowly traced down the side of his face. With a laugh, the Dark Lord spun away quickly. "Did you know your son hoped for approval for his actions? He wrote the essay to please YOU Lucius."**

**Draco paled.**

"**He wants to prove himself. Very strongly in fact. Well he shall get his chance. Bella," he motioned to his aunt, "take out your wand."**

**The room erupted in anxious excitement. Before Draco knew what was happening, he was kneeling in front of Lord Voldemort with his arm outstretched. "You and your family have greatly displeased me. I could kill you all and never think of it again. Draco Malfoy, you are your family's final hope. You will become a Death Eater. You will serve no one but myself. You will return to Hogwarts. And... You will kill Albus Dumbledore."**

**Draco would have collapsed if he hadn't already been on the floor. **_**Kill Dumbledore? I'm only a student! Not even of age!**__**How-- but his mother? Visions of her lying dead... of himself lying next to her. There was no escape. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a sob. He nodded.**_

_**With a cackle of joy, his aunt gripped his wrist and dug the point of her wand into his arm. Then came the pain.**_

_**Almost as soon as it was done, they apparated back to the mansion. Draco gripped his arm, wanting nothing more than to melt into the floor and weep, but he knew the look on his father's face. Lucius walked deliberately into his study, leaving the door open for Draco to follow. With a glance at his mother in the living room, Draco dropped his head and followed his father.**_

_**Narcissa sipped at her tea without tasting it. She flinched when her son's screams echoed through the house. The look in his eyes... She knew what had happened almost as surely as if she had been present. There was nothing she could do... Except play her final card. She would go to Snape.**_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Flitwick was giving an exam and Draco couldn't concentrate. How could he with the Dark Mark burning under his sleeve? He knew he had to keep up appearances; going to classes, hanging out with friends, but his mind was always racing with his task from the Dark Lord. He shuddered and unconsciously rubbed the mark through his sleeve. Then, aware of what he'd done he looked around anxiously to see if anyone had noticed.

Potter.

Why was he staring? Had he seen? It was a very tense few seconds as Draco planned his escape, but nothing happened. If Potter had seen and known why Draco's arm hurt he would have attacked. The ridiculousness of his fear made Draco cringe. As if Potter could see through his sleeve. "They teach you manners in Gryffindor?" he grumbled, making to cover his test.

"If I was gonna cheat, don't you think I'd pick somebody smart?"

All sarcasm, Draco mocked, "If you was gonna?"

"Alas," Flitwick's high pitched voice floated across the room, "you both get zeroes. No talking during tests." With a wave of his want, both Draco's and Potter's tests flew into the garbage bin.

Draco groaned, "Guess Trelawney's stopped giving it up after hours." He heard Potter snort at that, and saw him trying to rearrange his face into the usual one of disgust he saved for Draco.

Flitwick turned only a slight shade redder from his comment. "You know, the glow of your family's wealth may be enough to sustain you through Hogwarts Mr. Malfoy, but do you know what it will get you in the real world?"

"Please say Charms professor," Draco clasped his hands together in mock prayer. "Please, SAY Charms professor."

Another laugh from Potter.

"Mr. Potter," Flitwick redirected his next comment, "I wonder if you'll find Mr. Malfoy so amusing in detention. See me after class, both of you."

With a sigh of resignation, Draco plopped into a chair in the Charms classroom after classes. Potter came in soon afterward and strategically took a chair on the opposite side of the room. Draco was glad. He had enough on his plate without Potter in his face. He pulled out a deck of wizard cards and started a complex game of Witches Broom to kill time.

After several minutes of silence, interrupted only by Draco's card shuffling, he heard Potter start. "You know what I love? I love that I get a zero for talking, when you were the one talking to me. You get a detention for dissing the teacher in front of everybody, and I get a detention for laughing. Let me ask you something Malfoy--"

Draco groaned inwardly and looked at the ceiling. "Is this detention or hell?" he asked out loud.

"How do you Slytherin's not make yourselves sick?"

"If I donate to the United Gryffindor Pain-in-the-Ass Fund will you shut the hell up?"

Draco was awarded a minute of silence, but soon Potter piped back up. "You like playing with yourself?"

He shot him a look to see if he was serious.

"Or you wanna make things interesting?"

Potter was either a really bad bluffer or extremely bored, and either would make it easy for Draco to stomp him at cards. With a sly smirk he said, "What did you have in mind?"

Twenty minutes later, Draco smacked the table in frustration.

"You're almost as bad a bluffer as your father," grinned Potter as he scooped up the pile of knuts and galleons he'd won.

"You know you don't need a diploma to be the Boy-Who-Lived." Draco glared at his new set of cards, "I mean, why do you even show up here?"

He saw Potter shrug. "I promised Dumbledore I would. I don't break my promises.

_Sickening._ Draco shook his head, "And I mean this," his voice falsely sweet, "Awwa."

Suddenly Flitwick walked in and saw their game. "Is this a casino or detention?" he said, anger causing his voice to crack.

Draco leaned back and chuckled. "Would you believe it? The best of both."

Flitwick pretended to laugh along, but with a swift flick of his wand the cards flew out the window.

"Come on!" Potter yelled.

"What the hell? We're playing a game here!"

"This is punishment gentlemen. Not party time." The tiny professor's tone left no room for argument.

"That would explain the absence of balloon animals," Draco mumbled, mainly because he had to have the last word.

Obviously the wrong tactic to take. "You know, the two of you may not have learned respect in the home but you ARE going to learn it here. And now you have a full week of detention for me to teach you, without the luxury time for playing cards."

Draco groaned. So did Potter.

The next day Draco arrived outside Flitwick's office to find him and Potter waiting. "Now that Mr. Malfoy has graced us with his presence we can begin." Flitwick led them into the room. It looked very much like any other professor's office... Only built to the scale of it's inhabitant. The bookcases that lined the walls barely reached Draco's shoulder and he could have used the desk as a chair. "Alphabetize by author and then by title. For example, Shacklebolt would come after Bagshot and before Welton and within Shacklebolt, _Memoirs_ after _Aunt Bitsy's Dilemma_. No magic may be used."

Draco glanced around the room, not worried about disguising his distaste. "Is this a joke?"

"No Mr. Malfoy, this is detention."

Draco smirked. "I meant the room."

The tiny professor puffed up like a balloon.

"Oh Merlin," said Draco in mock surprise, "It's not yours is it?"

Potter chuckled behind him.

"No seriously," he continued, "I don't think it's school policy to have students do chores."

Flitwick stood up to his full height. "Seriously, would you like to hear the school's policy on gambling Mr. Malfoy? It's considerably detailed." With a quick wave of his wand, both boy's wands were in his tiny hand. "Now should I draw a diagram?"

Resignedly, Draco retorted, "Oh please, that would be helpful."

With a smirk Draco recognized from the one he saw in the mirror, Flitwick said, "If you get this wrong, I'll simply have you do it again."

Once they were alone, Draco turned to his partner and said, "Well Potty, lets get to it."

Potter turned to the nearest shelf and started flinging books to the floor. "Ooops. Heads up. My bad."

"You obviously have no appreciation of literature." Draco drop kicked a book to the far corner of the room. In a sing-song voice he wished, "Would that it were Professor Flitwick's head!"

"I was thinking more like that potion Snape showed us that makes your eyes melt out of your head while you vomit up your insides."

"Oh see, I'm more of a purist. You know, less blood more emotional distress. I'd rather see him locked in a room, padded, crapping himself in the corner. You know, he's an artiste, he'd appreciate the poetic justice."

A few minutes later, Draco heard Potter laugh. "I think I've got your poetic justice!"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, I've got a plan."

The way Potter's face lit up gave Draco a glimpse at why he had so many followers. Draco had followers too, but he had to frighten or buy them first. It was an unhappy realization that Potter seemed to attract them with something else entirely. "Tick tock, losing interest."

Potter shrugged. "If I thought you had the bollocks to pull it off I'd tell you but--"

Draco cut him off, "Never underestimate the size of my bollocks."

The plan was simple really. Use the access they had to Flitwick's Charms books, find the one they needed and wait until they got their wands back. After about 40 minutes they found the perfect one.

The next day Gryffindor and Slytherin had double Charms together. Just as Flitwick entered the classroom, Draco caught Potter's eye and nodded. Together they charmed all the books they had alphabetized the night before to suddenly start flapping their covers and fly through the door. Like a swarm of angry birds they dive-bombed the little man who shrieked and took cover under the desk.

The entire school was talking about it. Of course Draco was questioned, as was Potter, but he had quickly cast a wand memory spell on his wand to erase any trace of his part in the prank. When they tested his wand, it showed the last spell performed was the one he used to fix his hair that morning. He couldn't have been happier.

Then at lunch he overheard, "What? Potter got Flitwick?"

"Yeah, I was walking past McGonagal's office, heard Flitwick just blowing a fuse. 'Tell us who helped you! Tell us who helped you!'"

_Potter caught all the blame? _Should have known he was too cocky to erase his wand memory... Or too stupid. Those Gryffindors were all brawn, no brain... Well, Granger didn't count. Still, he hadn't ratted out on him. Loyalty wasn't something Draco had expected. Did Potter expect something in return?

"You got a sec?" Draco leaned against his godfather's doorway.

Snape looked up from his desk. "Mr. Malfoy, what can I do for you?"

"Man, I tell you Professor Snape, I am pissed off!"

Snape pointed a spindly finger at him. "I need for you to use appropriate language here Malfoy." Then he seemed to soften. "Now what's gotten under your skin?"

"It's Potter." Draco watched the man across from him visibly grimace at the name.

"He's been punished and will be for a long time."

"Yeah, I know. But the problem is he's getting all the credit. All of a sudden it's like he's the biggest bad ass--"

Snape glared.

"Uh, 'rad dude' here at Hogwarts. I mean people are going to be talking about that punking for years."

"I don't think I understand."

"I mean I want my share of the credit."

Snape's eyes suddenly went wide. In his careful monotone he said, "You're confessing to helping Harry Potter?"

Draco nodded.

Snape looked uncomfortable. "You can't just get away with this."

Draco let out a mock sigh. "Yeah, I didn't think I could." He reached behind his head and clasped his hands, knowing his sleeve had slipped to reveal his Dark Mark. Snape's eyes went immediately to it and Draco knew he had won. "So what kind of punishment are we talking about?"

"I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you both that you're getting off easy." Snape handed each of them a large bucket of suds and a sponge.

"So next time we'll have to clean TWO bathrooms by hand?" Potter retorted.

Snape glared. "Don't push your luck Potter."

As Draco scrubbed the floor next to the boy, he felt a new sense of camaraderie. Now, he wasn't about to call him his mate and invite him for winter holiday, but he felt they had moved into new territory. "You guys play Hufflepuff next week right?"

Potter looked surprised. "Yeah...?"

"Saw your cheering section last game. Mostly girls and almost as big as mine last season."

_Did Potter just smirk?_

"Still, who needs em when you've got Granger following you around, willing to do anything for you. Wouldn't mind it myself if she weren't a filthy--" The punch caught him unawares.

"You put your hands on her, you'll lose one of em!" Potter stood over him in all his righteous fury.

Guess they were back to normal. _As if that would have lasted long_. Draco rolled his eyes. "I think I just peed myself."

Draco sat nervous and bruised outside Dumbledore's office; waiting for his parents to come out. It had taken three prefects to pull him and Potter apart. "Thanks, I appreciate it." His father's voice drifted down the corridor as he came down the stairs. He walked right past his son without looking but said his name, "Draco," in a tone that sent him scurrying after him.

"How long did I get?" he asked anxiously, knowing time out of Hogwarts would take away from time to work on his task from the Dark Lord.

Lucius kept walking. "You're not being suspended. That barmy old hack wants all three of us back here on Friday for a disciplinary conference." He stopped and put his arm on Draco's shoulder. "Listen, I'm not happy that you were fighting. It draws attention you don't need right now. But I am proud of you for standing up to that self-righteous Potter."

"You're proud of me?" Draco almost laughed at the idea.

"Yes."

There was a time when Draco would have loved to hear those words from his father, but becoming a Death Eater had put a lot of things in perspective. His father never loved him, only used him when he needed him and discarded him when he didn't. Right now he needed him badly to protect himself from the Dark Lord's disappointment, but even now Draco could tell it was hard for his father to remember that. "Oh good, I can die happy."

As if in fulfillment of his thoughts, Lucius' grip tightened on his shoulder. "You keep smarting off and I'll help arrange it."

He was saved by his mother's high heels clacking down the corridor. "Is everything OK?" she asked with a smile.

**Got to admit this was a fun one to write... **


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry about the huge delay... But my laptop died. Literally died. However the story is still alive!!! **

Chapter Seven

Draco swallowed unsteadily as he tried to calm his heartbeat. It was so loud, he was sure everyone in the pub could hear him. For the past half hour he had been crouched inside one of the stalls in the girls bathroom, waiting for a student to walk in; waiting to use them to convey the cursed necklace to Dumbledore. His hands should have been shaking, the rest of his body certainly was, but they were strangely still. It was almost as if they were out of his control. He couldn't stop what they were about to do, even if he tried.

His train of thought was interrupted as he heard the door swing open and saw a pair of dark shoes stop in front of the sinks. _This is it_, he told himself. Slowly, he peeked through the crack in the stall door. Granger. For a second his heart stopped. How perfect was she? No one would suspect a member of the Golden Trio, least of all Granger. She could walk right up to Dumbledore and he would finally be free. _Not exactly_, his brain told him. _You're still a Death Eater. Do you really think when you've finished this task the Dark Lord is going to just let you go?_ Draco tried shaking his head, but the voice continued. _He'll just give you another. Maybe he'll have you kill Granger._ The edges of his vision went black and for a second he thought he might pass out. He was ready to kill Dumbledore, he was an old man anyways, but could he really kill someone like Granger? A flash of her face in the crowd when he won the award came to him. She had smiled. But then he remembered what happened after he got the award. Resolute, he lifted his wand...

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened again. Draco jumped back with a hiss, knowing he had almost been seen.

"Hi Katie!"

"Hermione, good to see you. What's going on?"

"Oh not much, just enjoying the weekend. Harry says you're doing really well in Quidditch practices. I'm excited for the next game."

"Yeah me too. We've got a pretty solid team this year."

"Alright, well I'd better get back. See you later!"

"Bye Hermione!"

Draco was once again alone with a Gryffindor. He wasn't about to let this one pass through his fingers. Quietly, he lifted his wand. "_Imperio."_

*****

"Tell me something. When something happens, why is it always you three?"

"Believe me Professor, I've been asking myself that for six years."

Hermione was still reeling from what she had seen. Katie might not have been a particular friend of hers, but seeing her like that had made her blood freeze. She was still feeling a little tipsy from the butterbeers, but she knew how close she had come to being Katie. Her friend had said it happened when she went into the bathroom. Hermione had seen her there what must have been seconds before she was cursed. She gave a little shudder. The effects of the butterbeer followed by the adrenaline had left her feeling a little dizzy. "You boys go ahead, I'm going to stop in the restroom."

"You sure 'Mione? We can wait." Harry said.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I'll see you in a minute."

Pushing open the door, Hermione was surprised to hear a man's voice in the girls restroom, but the conversation that followed was too interested to dwell on that for long.

"Back to cry some more eh?"

"Leave me alone Myrtle."

"Oh no no. This is too good. This can't be the same boy who put firecrackers in my toilet during third year."

Hermione heard what sounded like a sob. "Just go. Please."

She peeked her head around the corner. She saw Myrtle hovering next to... Draco Malfoy?

"Does the big bad Slytherin want his mommy? Oh, too bad she doesn't care."

Hermione's eyes widened as she watched Malfoy's sobs grow louder. Was this really happening? Tentatively, she approached. "Come on Malfoy," she almost whispered as she took his arm to lead him away from Myrtle. He looked up and for a second she was afraid he would curse her, but then he dropped his head and followed obediently. "Go away Myrtle."

Moaning Myrtle huffed, but took the cue and sailed away. Hermione turned back to Malfoy to see he had doubled over with his hands on his knees, like he couldn't hold himself up.

Hot, angry tears pushed out of his eyes, even as he tried to tell himself to pull himself together. _You almost killed that Bell girl_. He sucked in a deep breath. When he heard the necklace never even made it back to the castle, he was surprised his first reaction was guilt for what he'd done to the girl. He had expected anger, even fear of what the Dark Lord would do for his failure, but it was guilt. He kept seeing her eyes... Now he was standing in a girls bathroom with Granger of all people. Why was she still here? Why did she stop at all? He realized she had put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to sooth him. Any other time, he would have jumped away, but somehow a touch from a mudblood seemed trivial in comparison to the fact he had almost killed his classmate. What was she showing him? Compassion? Pity? Then he realized he didn't care.

_It must be the butterbeer,_ she thought to herself as she suddenly found her arms around a trembling Malfoy. _That has to be it. How did I even get here?_ But she couldn't leave. His knees suddenly gave out, and she felt his arms go around her waist, as if she was his only lifeline. Cautiously she started to stroke his blond hair.

*****

Leave it to Ron and Harry to have detention on the night of the All School Winter Gala. Hermione wouldn't have come at all, but Elmer Dinkle, Head Boy, had cornered her in the library. After two awkward dances, they had mutually agreed to save their toes and sit in a corner. He was nice enough, she supposed. And not bad to look at. She'd heard Lavender and Padma giggling over his blue eyes the other day in class.

Draco stumbled over something... Or possibly someone... He was too far gone to tell the difference. After his embarrassing scene in the bathroom with Granger, he'd decided to forget the entire incident with the help of some fire whiskey he'd smuggled from home. After the second bottle, attending the Winter Gala had seemed like a brilliant plan. Too bad in his drunken state he hadn't been able to find his dress pants. "Woo hoo!" His spirits were high, "Come on everybody! Lets dance!"

Next thing he knew, someone had dragged him out of the Great Hall by the elbow. Granger.

"Come on Malfoy, we're gonna get you home."

"No!" Why would he go back to the Manor? Especially when he'd botched his assassination attempt on Dumbledore? "No, tonight I'm gonna party." Granger's face kept fading in and out so he shook his head a few times. "Wait, who is this dude?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head sadly at Elmer. "As I have now told you three times, this is the friendly Head Boy who is going to overlook your public drunkeness--"

"Draco, when did you stop wearing pants?" Pansy pushed Hermione out of the way.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked angrily, but some of the venom was lost from his slurring.

"Someone came back to the common room, told me to come get Draco, he's wasted."

Draco searched for a retort, but found his muddled brain couldn't deny the fact that he was sloshed.

Pansy sighed. "Well I guess I'll just drag your sorry little self down to the dungeons."

"As long as you let me puke on your shoes."

"Of course, just like old times."

As Pansy dragged him off, Draco cast a look over his shoulder at Granger and Dinkle. For some reason the sight of them made him angry, but he knew he'd forget it by morning.

"A promising young man." Dinkle said disapprovingly as Hermione watched them disappear. "You wanna dance some more or head back to the tower?"

"Definitely the tower. Sorry I'm such a lame date, but it's been a long day."

Their conversation ran dry just about when they reached the portrait hole. "Well I had a lovely time and --" Hermione cut short as she realized Dinkle's lips were about an inch from her own. Instinctively she flinched. Almost immediately she regretted it as she saw his face. With an exaggerated air he kissed the back of her hand and bid her good evening before walking away. With a sigh, Hermione muttered, "Snark Shells" and headed to bed.

Once the door latched behind her Hermione groaned. What was she thinking? _Brain? _Check. _Dead Sexy?_ Check. _Devilish Charm?_ Check. _Worthy Scrabble opponent?_ Who cares! _What's wrong with you Hermione? What are you waiting for?!?_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"What's up Ron!"

"Good game!"

"Sup player!"

Hermione barely controlled rolling her eyes as she and Ron walked toward the Great Hall for lunch.

"Hi Ron," said a girl as she walked by, fluttering her eye lashes at him.

That was the last straw. "Who's the hoochie?"

Ron turned a little red and looked surprised. "Nadine? She's in our year. See, you need to socialize more. That's your problem."

"Wait," Hermione's face was completely serious, "that's my problem?"

Ron just shook his head. "You know you should really leave the sarcasm to Malfoy. At least he's believable."

As he spoke, an owl dropped a huge package right at his feet. With a grin he picked it up. "Look!" He pointed to the stickers that covered the box. "Go Ron! We love you! You rock!"

"Wow, a snack _and _and ego boost. I wish _I _played Quidditch!"

Seamus came around the corner, all smiles. "We gonna beat Slytherin?"

"No doubt mate," replied Ron with a grin.

"Alright!" Seamus slapped him on the back as he continued on his way.

Hermione laughed a little. "Can I just do something?" She slapped his back just like Seamus had. "Why does everyone keep doing that to you? Seriously, it's like you're made of velour or something."

As they entered the Great Hall a shout came from down the row, "Ron, you coming or what?"

He smiled, but turned to Hermione, looking a little anxious. "I was gonna go hang out with some of the guys on the team at lunch."

Hermione pasted on a smile. "And ruin the sanctity of our lunch duo? You know that'll send me crying to the bathroom." She smiled a little, thinking of the first time Ron done that. If it hadn't been for him, they probably wouldn't be friends now.

"Come hang out." He looked like he really meant it, but Hermione shook her head.

"At the cool jock table? Me?"

"Come on, they're alright."

"Thanks, but I have other plans." She didn't really, but her level of comfort did not leave much room for Quidditch jargon. In fact, she'd rather sneak lunch out to the courtyard and read. Grabbing a tray, she did just that, leaving Ron looking disappointed.

He'd been trying for so long to get her to acknowledge him as something more than a friend. Maybe he'd read the signs wrong, but he thought she might have those feelings for him. But every time he tried to include her in his life, she went her own way. With a sigh, he realized if she wasn't willing to help, they were never going to work. "Come on Ron, you can sit next to me." Lavender patted the bench next to her with a smile.

"Thanks Lav."

*****

Hermione couldn't really see where she was going through the tears. It felt like someone had punched a hole in her chest and filled it with lead. Ron had _...kissed_... Lavender. Immediately, the name made her want to vomit. They had been friends. Ok, well maybe not friends. More like roommates. But wasn't it obvious how she felt about him? That thought made her stop. Was it obvious? Did Ron even know? Maybe she wasn't as forward as Lavender, but surely he was aware of her feelings? _Oh Merlin_. With a sob she sat down on the stairs and wrapped her arms around her knees.

*****

Draco walked silently through the halls. He found if he walked, his brain tended to work better. He knew he was running short on time to complete his task and he was desperate to find a way. He'd even snuck into the library to look in the Restricted Section for answers, but Filch had come along and ruined it. Now he had detention on top of all his problems.

A faint sound caught his attention and he peeked around the corner to see where it was coming from. To his surprise, he saw Granger huddled in a dark stairwell. Was she... Crying? What a turn of events. For a moment, he thought he should return her favor from the other day. It was only kind he thought. Then a sharp twinge from the mark on his arm reminded him he was _not_ kind. Still... A split second before he approached her, he heard footsteps coming their way. It was Potter. With a hiss of distain, he turned on his heel, glad he hadn't acted on the impulse.

On his way back to his common room he soon learned the reason for her tears. Weaselbee was sucking the face off the crazy blonde girl from Potions. Leave it to Weasel.

*****

Draco worked over his cauldron, not as feverishly as he had for the liquid luck, but not as lazily as he had when Snape was Potions Master. But try as he might, he could not get more than a "Stir slower Mr. Malfoy," out of Professor Slughorn. He watched Slughorn bestow happy compliments on Potter all afternoon. He grimaced. Although he had derived some joy from the look on Granger's face. Obviously they were in the same boat. Probably the first time she wasn't the favorite in her whole life.

This afternoon they were brewing their own Love Potions. It wasn't a terribly difficult potion, although there was a bit of trickery involved because you had to keep altering the temperature. "A lot like real love," Professor Slughorn had said. "Some parts are steamy, while other parts need time to cool off."

Draco had rolled his eyes at that one. Thinking about his previous relationship experience, namely Pansy, he thought love really needed to be taken off the flames completely. Finally his potion turned a lucid pink, though not as pink as Potter's as Professor Slughorn had kindly pointed out. The old man stood across from Draco waiting expectantly for the final test. With a sigh, Draco leaned over the cauldron and took a quick whiff.

He was surprised. The words were tumbling out of his mouth before he could think. "Old books. And marshmallows and promises."

"Promises?" shrieked Pansy from across the room. "That's the name of my perfume!"

"Even I have that perfume," muttered Granger under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

*****

Hermione was glad that class was over. The smell of ink and fresh laundry was still lingering in her nostrils. She'd been surprised by that, since only weeks before it had been freshly cut grass and toothpaste. _I wonder if that means a person's attractions change constantly? If so, does a love potion have to be fresh to work?_ But she shook her head, refusing to dwell on it and instead turned her thoughts to her ridiculous female classmates. She was fairly certain she saw Romilda Vane smuggle some of the potion out.

"Oh Lavender," sighed Padma. "You're so lucky to have Ron."

All the girls quickly agreed.

"If only I could slip some of this to Dean. I just know our love would last forever."

Hermione snorted at this.

Lavender whipped around. "Did you say something Granger? Who would you want to give a love potion to?"

Hermione was trapped. She quickly started shoving her books into her bag. "Oh, no one."

They were having none of that. "Oh come on Hermione!"

"There must be someone, a little crush perhaps?" Lavender pushed.

Hermione was almost sure Lavender knew how she felt about Ron and was trying to hurt her on purpose. Grasping at straws, she said quickly, "Oh sure there is but I wouldn't want to give him the potion." Half crazed by these bimbos she added, "I'd rather wait for true love."

Those seemed to be the magic words because the girls stepped back and let her through. "How true!"

"I guess you never know when true love is going to find you," said Romilda as she put her hand on Hermione's arm with a sad smile.

Hermione shrugged off her hand and said as she walked toward the door, "If it comes looking for me, I'll be in the library."

At that moment, her path was blocked by a tall black mass and she pulled up short so as not to bump into it. Malfoy looked over his shoulder and she braced herself for an insult, but he simply nodded and said, "Granger," before walking out the door.

*****

Hermione was in the library. Again. Lately she'd been spending even more time there to avoid having to see Ron and Lavender snogging all over the hallways. Her library table was covered with books ranging from simple hair care spells to the many uses of Bare-nosed Beetle legs. With a sigh, she scooped up the pile she'd just finished reading to return them to the shelves.

As she rounded a corner, she tripped over the leg of a chair. "Oh n--"

Her cry was cut short because she felt a pair of strong arms grab her from behind. Her pile of books miraculously stayed in her arms. "Thank you, I--." It was Draco Malfoy.

Draco felt uncomfortable. He didn't really know what he had planned to say to her, but when he saw her get up from her table he had gravitated her way. Then she tripped, and out of instinct he caught her. As soon as she was steady on her feet again, he quickly stepped a good distance away. "Ahem. Hmm, Granger."

"Yes?"

"I, uh--" Nervously he ran a hand through his hair. Dammit! Why did she make him so awkward? _Malfoy's are never awkward, rang his father's voice in his head. He shook himself back to reality. "Listen, about the other day..."_

_She still looked confused. _

_He groaned. "You know, in the bathroom."_

_Ah, there went the light. Her face was an odd mixture between embarrassment and annoyance. Strange, that was how he felt. "I just-- Thank you for not telling anyone. I-I didn't expect that." Feeling like he aught to do something else, he reached out an arm and patted her arm._

"_You're welcome. I know how it feels."_

_He wasn't sure what that meant, but took it to mean he was off the hook. With really meaning to, he gave her a tiny smile and quickly walked away._

"_Hermione?"_

_Still stunned by what had just happened, she spun around to see Harry. _

"_Is everything alright?"_

_A little too quickly she said, "Yes, yes. Fine. I'm fine."_

_Harry's eyes looked suspicious. "Was it just me, or did I see Malfoy ask you to Slughorn's party?"_

"_Ha ha! No, that was not what it looked like." An image of Cormac McLaggen's big sweaty face popped into her mind. He had simply oozed charm when she asked him earlier that day. Already she was beginning to regret it._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Hermione grasped her head in her hands. "Unbelievable," she muttered into her butterbeer. It was muffled by the chatter of the Three Broomsticks.

"It's true! I love you Hermione!"

She looked up incredulously at Cormac's face and knew it wasn't love there but anger. She had just told him she didn't want to see him anymore. "Cormac," she tried to sound kind but she really wanted to slap him for being so dim, "you don't love me. We went on one date."

"Exactly! One date and we're done? If you think I'm so awful, why even bother?" He was practically hyperventilating.

"I was confused," said Hermione, trying to put it the nicest she could. "I was angry and wasn't thinking clearly. I should never have asked you."

Her soothing words had the opposite effect. "I was revenge?" Cormac's eyes gleamed as his color deepened. "You-you... Used me? To get back at Weasley?"

Hermione's inner warning bell went off and she decided it was time to leave. She put a couple coins on the table to pay for her butterbeer and stood up. "I'm sorry Cormac." His only response was a clenched fist. With a sigh she wrapped her scarf around her neck and walked toward the door.

"BITCH!"

She stopped. His scream had gotten everyone's attention. The Three Broomsticks was silent except for the scraping of chairs as people turned to stare. Hermione blushed as she felt everyone's eyes on her. Her gaze drifted to the nearest table, full of amused looking Slytherins. Except for Malfoy. He only stared at her face as it got even more red. Rather than excite Cormac more, she quickly hurried from the pub.

*****

Draco kicked a chunk of ice in his path. He had left his gloves at the Three Broomsticks. He probably could have frightened a first year into getting them for him, but Pansy was becoming unbearable again. She had talked all the way from their common room to the pub. He hadn't really been listening, only giving a "Hmm," or and "Ok," where needed. Then, after they got there and witnessed Mclaggen and Granger she had launched into her favorite subject: mocking the mudblood. But he had disappointed her there. She had goaded him on, expecting his usual insults.

"Did you see her? About time people noticed what she is. She isn't even worth the trouble, being a mudblood."

He hadn't found his usual enjoyment from torturing the Golden Trio this year. Probably because he saw it's futility in the face of his task from the Dark Lord. Now Potter, he hated him of course. Weasley was almost worse. But Granger... For some reason whenever he thought of her his usual distaste was replaced by the feeling of her fingers in his hair as he cried into her sweater. H shook his head, trying to erase the image, but he knew it was impossible. He had tried.

Almost on cue, he saw her. She was walking down the street, headed into the alley behind the Three Broomsticks. Her scarf blew out behind her like a flag. Why did he always notice her? Everyone was headed back to the castle so the streets were practically empty. In the silence, Draco heard a scream.

His reaction was automatic. He took off at a sprint for the alley Granger had disappeared into. As he came around the corner he saw McLaggen had her up against a wall, his wand pointed at her neck. She was clearly afraid, and obviously had been disarmed or McLaggen wouldn't have stood a chance. Even from where he stood he could see her shudder as her attacker traced his free hand down from her neck, popping shirt buttons as he went.

Draco saw red. "Expelliarmus!" he screamed, not even waiting to see if his spell hit before charging the bulky Gryffindor. "Stupefy! Stupefy!" He way the big guy go down, his wand skittering away down the alley. Draco stood over him now and saw the fear in his eyes. He felt the rage concentrate in his wand and he yelled, "Cruc--"

"Malfoy stop!" Granger grabbed his arm, her eyes wide. "He's not worth it!"

Draco couldn't believe it. One minute the guy was going to rape her and the next she saved him. He looked into her wide eyes and slowly lowered his wand.

McLaggen made a grateful sobbing noise from the snow at his feet and Draco groaned in exasperation. He grabbed him by the collar and punched him one... two... three times in the face before throwing him back onto the ground and delivering a swift kick to his abdomen.

"What's this? What's happened?" Madam Rosmerta hurried out.

"This _scum_'s just molested a girl outside YOUR pub," he sneered, kicking McLaggen one more time to accentuate the word SCUM.

*****

For the next few minutes, Hermione was overwhelmed by several professors who were in the pub. After assuring them all she was alright and having a butterbeer forced on her by the distraught Madam Rosmerta, Hermione finally left the pub.

She was surprised to see Malfoy's dark silhouette waiting for her up the street. Unsure of how to thank him, she approached tentatively.

"You okay?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but Hermione saw the real concern in his eyes.

_This is so surreal_, she thought and quickly nodded, "Um-hmm." His face visibly relaxed and he leaned back against the wall. All of a sudden, Hermione's heart felt like it would burst into flames. Of all the people to be standing here concerned for her it was MALFOY. On an impulse she would never be able to explain, Hermione went up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

The words, "Good then we're even," were on the tip of his tongue, but suddenly Granger was coming toward him with her lips. He stiffened and felt them brush the corner of his mouth. Shocked, he could only stare at her. _Did Granger just... KISS me?_ He watched her face, looking for some hint of a trick, or at the very least a joke, but she looked as surprised as he felt. Her face quickly changed from surprise to embarrassment and she shook her head, turning away to continue walking up the street.

Suddenly, Draco felt completely alone. It was as if her leaving was the world leaving and his task from the Dark Lord looked larger than ever. Draco knew he was a coward, but he never knew it's depths until he reached out after her.

He grabbed her arm and spun her back to him, lowering his head to catch her lips in his own. As their bodies collided he felt her gasp, but she met his kiss with the same uncertain intensity. He felt her arms tighten around him to pull him closer, but he was already holding her as close as he could.

After what felt like hours, they broke the kiss and Hermione stared up in wonder at the man she thought she knew. His eyes were intense, almost hungry, as he looked back. He seemed to be examining every part of her face. Then she felt his hands drop from her waist (_how did they get there?_) and she saw him realize what had happened.

Her senses came rushing back and the full validity of what she'd done overwhelmed her. She had kissed Draco Malfoy! And, she realized with even more astonishment, he had kissed her back! Unable to cope with the strange burning feeling spreading over her, she turned and hurried away. She heard a crunch on the snow like he was following her, but no others followed. Her mind still reeling, she looked back over her shoulder as she reached the top of the street.

Malfoy hadn't moved, but his eyes were still following her, and had lost none of their intensity. With something between a shiver and a sigh, Hermione hurried back to the castle.

*****

The next day was double Potions with Slytherin. _Of course_. Hermione was never late to class, but today she definitely wasn't early. She procrastinated until the very last second before walking in that door. _He_ was going to be there. After she'd gotten back to the castle, her brain had already begun dissecting everything that had happened with Malfoy. _I was in a state of shock. I didn't know what I was doing. But that doesn't explain what he was doing...? Did he want me to kiss him? Did he expect it after he saved me? But his face..._

"Come on Hermione!" she whispered to herself, "You're a big, brave Gryffindor. If you can face Death Eaters, you can face Malfoy!" With a deep breath she stepped into the classroom. Everyone was already there, including Malfoy. He looked up from his book and for a second she felt her knees go all wobbly. He smirked a little, but broke their gaze by glancing back down at his book. But she could tell he was still looking at her from under his eyelashes.

_Alrighty, Malfoy. We'll just skip over the two minutes in heaven we had. You wanna pretend it never happened? No argument here. My lips, for all intents and purposes, are sealed. _


End file.
